Access ACS 101 Day 1: Introduction, Setup, Small Groups & Connections

Transcription

1 Access ACS 101 Day 1: Introduction, Setup, Small Groups & Connections

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3 Copyright Copyright 2013 ACS Technologies Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this publication by mechanical or electronic means, including facsimile transmission and , without the express permission of ACS Technologies Group, Inc. is strictly prohibited. Version Last Updated: 11/20/2013 1:43 PM

4 Contents Contents Introduction to This Guide... 6 Unit 1: Getting Started with Access ACS... 7 Overview of Access ACS... 8 Terminology used in Access ACS... 9 Decisions, Decisions, Decisions Uploading Records Accessing, Moving Around, and Logging In and Out of Access ACS Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account What does an Administrator See? Configuration of System Options Configuring Change Request Notifications Configuration of Security Profiles Configuration of User Accounts Guest Users Accounts Applying Change Requests Posting Web Links Unit 3: Small Groups Functionality that is Unique to Small Groups in Access ACS Adding Small Group Positions Adding Small Group Categories Adding Small Groups Assigning, Dropping, and Deleting Group Leaders Entering Additional Small Group Information Adding Individuals to Small Group Rosters Marking and Viewing Small Group Attendance Adding Small Group Connection Assignments Synchronizing Small Groups Unit 4: Connections Completing Contact Assignments in Access ACS Logging Attempted Contacts in Access ACS

5 Contents Viewing the Directory of Outreach Contact Assignments in Access ACS Reference Materials Switching a User s Profile Deactivating Users Small Group Statistics Sending a Message in Access ACS Sending a Text Message in Access ACS Connections Map

6 Introduction to This Guide Introduction to This Guide Access ACS is the web companion to the ACS People Suite program. Through Access ACS, an organization can give your members and guests access to profile records, receive online gifts, allow members to sign up and pay for events, and search for volunteer opportunities. If you ve recently attended one of our People or Financial training classes, you ve met Callie Mead, the newest staff person at Fellowship Community Church. Now that she s gotten the ACS People and Financial suites running, it s time for her to turn her attention to Access ACS. We re going to follow along with her. Callie s main priorities are to: Correctly set up Access ACS so she doesn t have to go back in and make major changes. Make sure she knows how to keep up with the administrative tasks in running Access ACS because she s been put in charge of keeping Access running smoothly. Set up and maintain small groups because she knows that small groups are important to Pastor Wayne Gainey, the Small Groups Minister. Callie s love of Chazo Chai Tea is now known throughout the office and Pastor Wayne has brought her enough to last the day. After all, he wants her to have the brain power to set up one of his responsibilities, small groups. So Callie has her first cup of Chazo Chai Tea and is ready to start. 6

7 Unit 1: Getting Started with Access ACS Unit 1: Getting Started with Access ACS Before she starts Access ACS, Callie realizes she needs to understand how Access ACS interacts with ACS. Follow along in this guide as Callie plans, promotes, sets up, and uses Access ACS. These lessons can help you promote small groups, serving, event registration, online giving, and connections by using Access ACS and your church website. Members and guests can access their own ACS profile information and also perform other tasks. Before you begin to use Access ACS with your congregants, it s important for them to be familiar with some Access ACS terms, security, and other decisions that they need to know. At the end of this unit you will be able to: Explain to others how ACS and Access ACS work together. Use Access ACS terminology in a conversation with others. Identify the decisions the staff has to make before using Access ACS and implement those decisions in Access ACS. Make the initial record upload from ACS to Access ACS. Log in and log out of Access ACS. 7

8 Unit 1: Getting Started with Access ACS Overview of Access ACS Figure 1: Overview of Access ACS 8

9 Unit 1: Getting Started with Access ACS Terminology used in Access ACS Before she goes any further, Callie knows it s important to understand and correctly use Access ACS terminology as she works in the program. Let s take a look at some terms unique to Access ACS. Words to know Administrators Oversees your Access ACS account. These individuals have rights to view and change all parts of Access ACS, including permissions, system settings, and global preferences. The Report a problem link functions differently for Administrators than for other users. Problems reported by other users are sent to the Administrator. Problems reported by the Administrator are sent to ACS. User s, Guest Users, and Other Users As login terms, users do not refer to member status r to an individual s relationship with your organization, rather, how they use Access ACS. User logins belong to Access ACS users whose accounts are linked to records in your ACS or ACS OnDemand database or have been added by an Administrator. Guest user logins are created when someone creates an Access ACS account that is not linked to a record in the database. Individuals with guest user logins can only access their online giving and event registration records and search for available Small Groups. Other user logins belong to Facility Scheduler users. They are included to prevent the same user name and (and associated security rights) being assigned to multiple individuals. Groups Refers to all types of groups in your data. Classes, Activities, and Small Groups each have unique functional and data features. You can track a group in Classes even if it is not an actual class. Likewise, a group can be tracked in Small Groups even if it is not an actual small group. Connections The contacts or follow-up efforts you make with other individuals. There are two types of connections Small Group Connections and Outreach Connections. Small Group Connections are specifically designed as a recruiting tool for small groups. 9

10 Unit 1: Getting Started with Access ACS Outreach Connections are any other contacts or follow-ups. A small group leader contacting individuals who are already members of his small group is making Outreach connections. 10

11 Unit 1: Getting Started with Access ACS Now it s your turn 1. What happens if Callie clicks the Report a Problem link? 2. Callie s friend, Julie, is a member at the church with a member level user login. When Callie was showing Access ACS to her friend, she clicked the Report a Problem link. What happened? 3. One of the groups listed under My Groups on Julie s home page says Committee>Finance. Why does it look different from the other groups listed? 4. Which type of Connection is created in each scenario below? Circle SG for Small Group connection or O for Outreach. SG O A member is going into the hospital for surgery. Callie needs one of the pastors to visit the member in the hospital SG O SG O SG O A church member has searched for available small groups and has requested information about one that looks interesting. Sue Blalock visited the church this past week. One of the pastors needs to make a follow-up call. Callie s friend, Julie, wants to get involved with the café team. All serving teams are set up as Small Groups. 11

12 Unit 1: Getting Started with Access ACS Decisions, Decisions, Decisions So far so good. Callie understands the basic terms, and how Access ACS works with ACS. She s also spent some time making a list of things she needs to know and realizes that she must talk with other staff to have a clear picture of how the church will use Access ACS. Callie understands something important: Access ACS is a member-facing product, which may be a new concept for some on the FCC staff and other churches and non-profit organizations. This is important, and she knows that staff needs to be aware of this as they make plans. An effective launch of the product involves deciding which features to introduce and in what order, and Callie has made a list. As part of the evaluation and launch process, each staff member should consider the following questions as guidelines for preparing to use Access ACS: 1. How will Access ACS be used? a. Internal staff use b. Portal for online giving and event registration c. Staff and lay leader tool for managing groups and tracking ministry engagement d. Information tool for entire congregation e. Combination of all of the above 2. What will we brand Access ACS? How can we make it identifiable to the members and guests who will use it? 3. Will we roll out Access ACS in stages? 4. Whose records will we upload? a. Members and regular attendees b. Visitors or guests c. Non-attending contributors 5. What data will we upload? (Phone types, types, group structures) 6. How often do we need to upload data, and who is responsible? 7. Who will be the Administrators? a. Will they have shared responsibilities? b. Does their access to giving or other data need to be limited? c. What communications are needed among the administrators? 8. Who will need staff-level user accounts? 9. What functionality or data access will these users need? 10. What are our preferences for notifications? 11. Will we make directories available? a. What member statuses should be included? b. Will we include these by default? c. What member statuses should have access to the directory? 12

13 Unit 1: Getting Started with Access ACS Now it s your turn Take a few minutes and read through the list on the previous page. Answer as many questions as you can but don t guess (you may have already answered a couple of questions, such as who is your Access ACS administrator, but that s OK). It s better to leave blanks for questions you re not sure of. For those you can t answer, note the name of the person or group you need to speak to when you get back to the office. Below, note any tasks or important notes you need to remember when you go back to your office. 13

14 Unit 1: Getting Started with Access ACS Uploading Records Whew! Callie s ready to upload records and send data from her ACS for Windows (also from ACS OnDemand database if you have it) to Access ACS. Before you start to upload records from ACS to Access ACS, here are some important things to keep in mind: You can create and save a search to find only active members and attendees. Select that search for your upload. This keeps the number of your records lower, possibly reducing your costs and making the data more efficient for your lay leaders and staff. If you only want to include certain items, click Select to include specific information. Use Comment Types to secure comments in Access ACS. Be sure to set up the appropriate security settings if you upload confidential comments. You must use the latest versions of ACS and Access ACS to guarantee successful uploads. Prior versions of the ACS People suite may work, but Access ACS is designed to upload without problems from the latest version. To initiate the upload in ACS for Windows or ACS OnDemand 1. In ACS, under Advanced Tools, on the Admin Utilities tab, select Upload Records, and click Go. 2. Select the data types to upload. 3. Click Upload. 14

15 Unit 1: Getting Started with Access ACS Accessing, Moving Around, and Logging In and Out of Access ACS Now Callie needs to learn how to log into Access ACS and how to navigate through the program. To log in to Access ACS 1. In your browser address bar, type and press Enter. 2. On the Access ACS Sign In page, click Sign in with Username, and then enter your Site Number, User Name, and Password. 3. Click Sign In. Moving Around There are four ways to move around in Access ACS: 1. Point to a tab. 2. Click a hyperlink. Figure 2: Tab Navigation Figure 3: Hyperlink Navigation 15

16 Unit 1: Getting Started with Access ACS 3. Select an action from a drop-down list. 4. Click a button. Figure 4: Action Navigation Figure 5: Button Navigation To log out of Access ACS, click Sign Out. 16

17 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account Callie now understands terminology used in Access ACS, knows how to log in and out, and has a grasp of how Access should work for her church. She s ready to start setting it up! This means she will set up security rights, work with user records, and upload data. Later, as others interact with Access ACS, she will apply change requests. By the end of this unit you will be able to: Explain to others how the various areas in the Administrator s View function. Configure Access ACS options for the needs of your church. Set up user accounts. Link guest users accounts to names in your database. Configure security profiles. Upload records from ACS to Access ACS. Apply Change Requests from Access ACS to ACS. Post web links. 17

18 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account What does an Administrator See? Callie is not only responsible for keeping Access ACS up-to-date but she s been made the administrator. As administrator, what will she see? The Administration Overview page displays when anyone with administrative rights signs in. This page gives system administrators and staff members a view of important information about their organization. You ll see information about: Active and inactive logins. Login stats of various profiles (administrators, staff, members, etc.). Group summary information. Online giving records. Change requests and their types (address, comments, family info, etc.). Administrator news, which is real-time information. Basic organization information. It s important to know that: Security limitations may affect what individual staff members can view on this page. At least one individual must have an administrative login to Access ACS to maintain system settings and security rights. There are several sections on the Admin page that are integral to the day-to-day operations of your organization. Depending on the user s rights, the information on this page varies. To access the Admin Overview page, highlight the Admin tab, and then click Admin Overview. 18

19 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account Configuration of System Options So now it s time for Callie to set preferences, configure system options and change the theme. All of these options affect what displays, what Access ACS links to, and the look of Access ACS. Let s learn more about what each option does and what Callie needs to do. The system options are divided into four categories. Global Preferences Affect the sources and the display of data such as whether calendar information is linked to The Facility Scheduler or self-contained. Change Request Setup Affects how administrative functions work, such as how the Administrator is notified of change requests. Web Links Lets the Administrator make Access ACS content accessible from the organization s website. Themes Changes the look and feel of the Access ACS content. Configuring Global Preferences To configure Global Preferences 1. Point to Admin, and click Options. 2. Select a Calendar Preference. 3. Enter Administrator addresses. 4. If you need to change an Administrator s address, click the Edit icon. Select to Display all Member Statuses or Only display certain Member Statuses. If you choose to display only certain statuses, you need to also check the statuses you want to display. 5. Select your Default Online Directory Preferences. If you are unsure which option to pick, select Include all users in the online directory. 6. Indicate whether you want to display street addresses, phone numbers, and addresses in the directory. Unlisted phone numbers do not display in the directory. 7. Select which Member Statuses will have the ability to view and print the Online Directory: Allow all Member Statuses or Only allow certain Member Statuses. If you choose to allow only certain member statuses to print, then you must select which statuses. If you select Only allow certain Member Statuses and do not check any statuses, no one will be able to print. 19

20 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account Configuring Change Request Notifications Change Request Setup determines if/how often you get change request notifications, and whether or not users get notified when their changes are rejected. Users must have a Sys Admin profile with specific security right enabled to review or approve Change Requests. To configure the Change Request setup 1. Point to Admin, and click Options. 2. Click Change Request Setup. 3. If you need to add an administrator to process change requests, click Add. 4. Select your preference for change request notifications. Do not notify if I have Change Requests Select if you do not want to receive notifications. Use this if you plan to manually check for change requests. Send me an notification for each Change Request Select if you want to receive an for all submitted requests. Send me an notification daily if I have new Change Requests Select if you want a daily notification when there are pending requests. This is the preferred setting for most users. Send me an notification weekly if I have outstanding Change Requests Select if you want one weekly notification when there are pending requests. 5. Under Change Request Rejection s, indicate if you want to notify individuals when their change request has been rejected. This helps prevent individuals from resubmitting the request. 6. If you selected to send rejection s, in the Message field, enter the text for that message. 7. Click Save. Using Web Links Access ACS provides web scripts you can use to link access points from your church website to specific features. For example, you can create a search page for available small groups by using the Small Groups link on your website. When a feature is activated in Access ACS, available web links appear on the Web Links tab in the Admin functions. To use a web Link 1. Point to Admin, and click Options. 2. Click the Web Links tab. 20

21 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account 3. Click General to view a list of web links. Click Calendar to view a list of calendar web links. 4. Click inside of the address box to highlight the web link and copy the link to paste it in a website. Using Themes You can customize the look and feel of Access ACS to coordinate with the look and feel of your church website. The Themes tab lets you to customize the banner and color palettes in Access ACS. To modify Themes 1. Point to Admin, and click Options. 2. Click the Themes tab. 3. Select a predefined theme or click Customize to create your own. 21

22 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account Configuration of Security Profiles Setting up the System Options was easy for Callie because did her homework beforehand and knew what to choose for each option. She also knows the security rights for each user profile are important and should have some thinking behind them. She d rather err on the side of caution and have to give more rights later on than to have to take away rights from a profile. She can just imagine what she d hear from several unnamed people if suddenly they no longer had permission to see or use certain options. User profiles are sets of security rights and permissions that establish which areas each user can access in Access ACS. All users, except system administrators, must be assigned user profiles. Access ACS provides three default user profiles: Member Login Lay Leader Staff Login Access ACS Administrators can build customized logins based on one of the three default profiles. This allows the organization to set up and maintain the permissions for large groups of users. For example, Callie needs a new user profile for members who frequently volunteer in the organization office. Once the new user profile is set up, she can assign it to all users who help maintain records in the office. Useful Information Maintain permissions for all users through user profiles. Although Access ACS lets you customize permissions for a specific user, if you need to change a setting, this is easier to do by changing a profile setting instead of remembering all user records that need updating. 22

23 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account To edit existing security profiles 1. Point to Admin, and click Security. 2. Click User Profiles. 3. Click the name of the profile that you want to edit. 4. Make the changes. 5. Click Save. To create new security profiles 1. Point to Admin, and click Security. 2. Click User Profiles. 3. Click Add New Profile. 4. Enter the Name and Description. 5. Select a Profile Type. 6. Click Next. 7. Enter the function-based security settings. 8. Click Next. 9. Enter the data-based security settings. 10. Click Save. 23

24 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account Now it s your turn Your instructor will divide the class into groups and then assign each group a User Profile to create. As a group, choose the security options appropriate for the profile. At the end of the time period, a representative from your group should be prepared to share with the rest of the group: The User Profile you were assigned. The options you chose. Be prepared to explain choices if they are questioned. 24

25 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account Configuration of User Accounts Now Callie needs to configure user accounts. The User tab displays all users currently set up in Access ACS. From here, you can add new users, edit user profiles, delete users, and users. You do not need to add each user to Access ACS. On the Access ACS sign-in page, members can register and create a user account. Members who register for a user account are assigned a Member Login profile. Members who want to log in to Access ACS must have an address in ACS. If a staff member or leader registers and needs a profile other than a Member Login profile, a user with appropriate rights must assign that new profile on the Add/Edit Users page. To add a new user account 1. Point to Admin, and click Security. The Users tab displays. By default, the Users sub-tab displays. 2. Click Add User. 3. To assign a user account to an individual in the Access ACS database, click Select user from People records. If the user is not in the Access ACS database, for example a staff member who is not a member of the church, complete the information on the page. An asterisk denotes a required field. 4. To require the user to change their password the next time they log in to Access ACS, under User Options, click Require Password Change. 5. Under User Security Settings, in the Assigned Profile drop-down list, select a profile. 6. Click Save. 25

26 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account Guest Users Accounts Since she s just starting, Callie hasn t seen a guest user account yet, but she knows there will be guest logins soon. Guest User logins are users who are not in your database. Guest User accounts are created when an individual gives online or signs up for an event by creating a new account. On the Guest Users sub-tab, you can merge users to records in your database, edit their login information, or delete their accounts. This is helpful because some individuals may register as non-members when they really are members. Administrators can use this option to correct such accounts. To link a non-member user to a record in your database 1. Point to Admin, and click Security. By default, the Users tab displays. 2. Click the Guest Users sub-tab. 3. Next to the individual to whom you want to link to a record in the database, click Add to ACS. 4. Select to add the non-member as a new family in the database, add to an existing family, or link to an individual in the database. 5. Click Next. 6. Follow the instructions on the page to complete the process. Figure 6: Link a Non-Member to a Record in the Database 26

27 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account Now it s your turn It s review time! We ll list a scenario, and you choose the option you ll use to deal with it. Beside each scenario write the letter for the correct option. Your options are: A. Global Preferences B. Change Request Setup C. Web Links D. Themes E. Users F. Guest User G. User Profiles H. Leadership Positions 1. One of the reasons John came by was to discuss online giving. It s been set up and is now ready to go. but you need to make it easy for people to access this option from the church website. Right now, you re not sure what to do with the link, (we ll talk about that soon) but at least you know where to find it. What option do you go to? 2. You want the Servant member status to display on Online Directories and be available in online searches. Choose the right option to make the selection. 3. Right now you manually need to check for change requests, but you ve decided it would be easier to get a notification. You want to use the Send me an notification daily if I have new Change Requests option. Where do you go to make this change? 4. You have finally been given the church s logo (image) and a background image to use in Access ACS. You need to upload both images. 5. Like Callie, you need to add a Volunteer profile. Where do you add this? 6. Youth Pastor Johnnie Griffin registered in Access ACS, but he has a Member profile rather than a Staff profile. What option do you select to make the correction? 7. Four of the above options are found under Admin>Security and four are found under Admin>Options. Can you put each option in the correct place? a. Admin>Security b. Admin>Options 27

28 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account Applying Change Requests So what will Callie do when her first change request comes in? She needs to know. A change request is created any time a user in Access ACS edits, adds, or deletes information. Change requests are not active in the system or ACS People until an administrator approves and applies them. To apply change requests in Access ACS 1. Point to Admin, and click Change Requests. 2. To reject any requests, click. 3. Clear any requests that need to be reviewed by another individual. 4. To apply any remaining requests, click Apply Change Requests. 28

29 Unit 2: Administering your Access ACS Account Posting Web Links Access ACS provides several links that you can post on your web site. Members can click links to access their information, and other individuals can click links to access information about your events, small groups, and ministry opportunities. To post Web Links 1. Point to Admin, and click Options. 2. Click Web Links. 3. Click inside of the address box to highlight the web link and copy it. 4. Paste the link in your web page s HTML code or in the body of an you want to send. Now it s your turn Think about the Web Links will you probably use at your church, and list below where they will link

30 Unit 3: Small Groups Unit 3: Small Groups So now Callie is to the option that Pastor Wayne is so excited about: Small Groups. One of the features in Access ACS is a robust Small Group management tool. Using this tool, you can create your Small Group structure, add a search page of small groups to your website, manage your group rosters, post attendance and communicate with the leadership of the ministry. At the end of this unit you ll be able to: Explain to others the functionality that is unique to Small Groups. Add Small Group Positions. Add Small Group Category Fields. Add Small Groups. Assign, Drop, and Delete Group Leaders. Modify Small Group Information. Add Individuals to Small Group Rosters. Mark and View Small Group Attendance. Add Small Group Connection Assignments. View Small Group Statistics. Synchronize Small Groups. 30

31 Unit 3: Small Groups Functionality that is Unique to Small Groups in Access ACS As we ve already learned, Small Groups are really important to Wayne Gainey, the Small Groups Minister. He s given Callie a lot of information about FCC s small groups and how they function; however, before Callie starts working with the groups, she needs to make sure she knows how to set them up correctly. With Access ACS, you can build, maintain, and track small group involvement. There are several unique features to the Access ACS Small Groups that are not shared with ACS People suite activities or classes. Use Access ACS Small Groups if one or more of the features listed below can help you to expand your small groups. Group structure can have up to five levels. The unique structure for setting up small groups allows communication among different levels of leadership. Figure 7: Small Group Structure 31

32 Unit 3: Small Groups Group leaders (Facilitators) are arranged into implicit groups for parent-level leaders (Coaches). Individuals can search online for a group even if they are not registered users of Access ACS. Communications and follow-up involved in enrolling an individual in the group can be tracked and monitored. Group locations can be displayed on a map. 32

33 Unit 3: Small Groups Adding Small Group Positions Now Callie is ready to set up small groups and the first thing she s going to do is add positions. We talked about the term Positions when we first started learning about Access ACS. If you re a little foggy, let s review: Positions are used to classify individuals (co-leader, participant, guest) in a small group roster. Use the Positions tab to create, edit, and delete positions assigned to individuals on the rosters. To add a new small group position 1. Point to Admin, and click Group Setup. 2. Click Small Groups 3. Click the Positions tab. 4. Click Add. 5. Enter a name for the new position. 6. Enter a description for the new position (optional). 7. Select Small Groups if the position is available for small group rosters. Select Small Group Leader if it is a small group leader position. 8. Click Save. To edit a current small group position 1. Point to the Positions tab, and click the position. 2. Make the changes. 3. Click Save. 33

34 Unit 3: Small Groups Adding Small Group Categories Now Callie is ready to create Small Group categories. Small Group categories describe your small groups and are searchable. Create Key Phrases to associate with your groups. You can associate multiple category items with each small group. Access ACS users can search on Key Phrases to find groups that are of interest to them. With the other category groups, you can only associate one category item with each small group. You must set up category items before assigning them to groups. To edit your small group categories 1. Point to Admin, and click Group Setup. 2. Click Small Groups. 3. Click the Categories tab. 4. To change a category tab description, click Change Category Name. 5. In the Add New Item field, enter any new search items and click Save. 6. To edit the item, click. 7. To delete an item from a category, click. Useful Information You cannot change the Key Phrases tab name. On the Key Phrases tab, you can only create new items, edit existing items, and delete items from the category. 34

35 Unit 3: Small Groups Adding Small Groups Now Callie is ready to enter her Small Group structure. Before entering your small groups, sketch out your structure. It s OK if it isn t perfect when you first put it in because you can always rearrange it as you fine tune your small groups. 1. Point to Admin, and click Group Setup. 2. Click Small Groups. 3. Select the coach, ministry area, or ministry division that the new group is under. For a new division, don t select anything. 4. Click Add. 5. Enter the Group Name. 6. If you are creating a small group roster, select Allow member to be added to this group. Do not select this option if you are creating at the area leader or area coach level. 7. Click Submit. 35

36 Unit 3: Small Groups Assigning, Dropping, and Deleting Group Leaders Now that Callie has the various groups in Access ACS, she can assign group leaders. To assign a group leader 1. In the Small Groups structure tree, click Add Leader. 2. In the What Position are you adding for drop-down list, select the leadership position. 3. Enter the first few letters of the first and last names. 4. Click Run Search. 5. Click Select next to the leader s name. 6. Click Add to Roster. 7. Enter the date to add the person to the roster, or click Yes to accept the default date. Dropping or Deleting a Group Leader At some point, Callie knows she will have to drop or delete a group leader so it s important for her to understand the difference between deleting and dropping. Drop a leader if you want to retain the history of the individual once they begin to serve as leader of the group. Drop them if they served any time as small group leader. Delete a leader if you want to remove the record from the Small Group roster. Only delete leaders if you have incorrectly added them to the group roster. To drop or delete a group leader 1. In the Small Groups structure tree, click Drop or Delete Leader. Figure 7: Drop or Delete a Leader 36

37 Unit 3: Small Groups Entering Additional Small Group Information Callie needs to enter more details for many of the Small Groups she s added. These additional details are important because they can help people choose appropriate Small Groups to join. Here are examples of some of the additional information she can add: Start and end dates Group status Topic and/or curriculum Small Group description Group meeting location Directions to meeting place Meeting time If childcare is available Maximum number of participants It s nice that Callie doesn t have to be responsible for entering all of this information. Besides staff, group leaders can maintain small group information pages. In fact, information such as where the group meets and the topic/curriculum is best managed by the group leader if that information changes regularly. If you want small group leaders to edit their group information pages, you must give them the proper security options in the user profile setting. To modify small group information 1. In the Small Groups structure tree, select the group that you want to modify. 2. Click Edit. 3. Under What: a. Enter the Name of your Group. b. Enter a Start Date for the group. If the group has an end date, enter it in the End Date field. If the group is ongoing, leave the End Date field blank. c. The Small Group Parent drop-down list contains the name of the current parent level. Edit this information if necessary. d. Select the Group Status. 37

38 Unit 3: Small Groups e. Enter a Topic/Curriculum (optional). Information entered here displays on the small group search page. f. Enter a description for the group (optional). Information entered here displays on the small group search page. 4. Under Where: a. Enter meeting location details (optional). Enter a complete address if you want the location to display on the View Map option. b. Enter Directions if the address listed does not display correctly on an Internet map, or if there are special instructions needed to find the location. 5. Click Continue. 6. Under When: a. Enter the Meeting Time for the group. If you know what time the group will meet, choose Yes, I know what times we are meeting, and fill in the correct time. If you do not know what time the group will meet, or if the times will vary, choose the appropriate option. b. Enter the date or dates on which the group will meet. c. If the group will meet on another date or time, click Add Another. If this is the only meeting time for the group, click Save and Continue. 7. Under Group Detail: a. If childcare is provided during small group meetings, select Childcare Provided. b. Enter the Max Participants. Once this number is reached on the group roster, the group is removed from the search page and further sign-up requests are denied. c. Enter a Web Address or Facebook page address (optional). d. Enter a Close Date. The close date is the last date a group will accept new members. Once the Close Date occurs, the group is no longer listed on the small groups search page. e. Select the Categories that apply to this group. Remember that the categories help individuals who are searching for a group find a list that closely meets their needs. 38

39 Unit 3: Small Groups f. Select Copy the leader of the parent group on all s if you want all requests sent to the small group to also be sent to the leader of the group s parent level. g. Select Receive notifications for marking attendance if you want the group leader to receive an notice after the group meets to remind him or her to mark attendance through Access ACS. The contains a link that lets the group leader log in, mark the participants present, and list the names of any visitors to the meeting. h. If you want the group to be listed on the small groups search page, select Allow everyone to see this group. Some groups, such as recovery groups, may be private and should not be listed on a search page. Do not select this option for groups that should be kept private. i. To let people join the group without going through the administrator approval process, select Allow members to automatically join this group. j. Select the Key Phrases that apply to this group. Remember that key phrases help individuals who are searching for a group find a list that closely meets their needs. 8. Under Schedule Reminder Message: a. Select Automatic Reminder if you want an notification sent to all group members prior to meetings. b. If you select Automatic Reminder, include a Meeting Reminder Message. 9. Review all fields for accuracy, and click Done. 39

40 Unit 3: Small Groups Now it s your turn It s group time again! Be sure to read all of the information before you start.really.you should. Below is a list of groups that need to be put into Access ACS. The list isn t in the right order, and we know you aren t familiar with this church or its ministries. Even so, read carefully and you ll find hints to help you create a usable structure. Here s some general information: Bible Studies o It s important to know their general geographic location, so people looking for a Bible study can narrow the search down to near where they live. o All Bible studies run from September through May. o All study books cost $9.95 o There are adult and youth Bible studies. There are other groups that fall under the Communitas umbrella. Communitas groups are those whose members have a common interest or have a need or issue in their life. Volunteers fill many important roles at the church, and we want it easy for people to find volunteer opportunities. Groups going on future mission trips meet for months ahead of time to prepare for their trips. Make them easy to find. As a group, your job is to: Create a structure for the following on a blank sheet of paper. Some information can t be put in the structure but goes in the detail area for each group. Place an * beside information you can add to the group s detail. If you can t include the information, do not mark it. Bible Studies The Jason Smith group is studying Romans 101. This group meets on the north side of town. The Smith s address is 6475 Meadow Lane, Beaverdam, SC. There is childcare. Start time is 7:30pm The Tim Brown group is currently engaged in studying A Time for Courage. The Brown s live on the south side of town, and their address is 1236 Harmon Drive, Beaverdam, SC. 40

41 Unit 3: Small Groups Start time is 7pm. There is no childcare. The Stan Jones group is studying Life Principles. The Joneses live at 9874 Claymore Drive, Beaverdam, SC, which is on the north side of town. There s no childcare. Start time is 7pm. The Donald Miller group is working through Abraham, a Journey of Faith Bible study. This is a youth (ages 14-17) Bible study on the north side of town. The Miller s address is 1029 Fairway Court, Beaverdam, SC. Start time is 7pm. The Tim Taylor small group is studying I Peter, Walking the Talk. This is a singles Bible study on the south side of town. The Taylor s address is 3210 Willow Creek Road. Beaverdam, SC. You must be college age or older to attend. Group meets each Tuesday at 7:30. The Mark Williams group is studying Attributes of God, Part I. This is an adult Bible study. It s held on the south side of town. Mark s address is 6879 Augusta Road, Beaverdam, SC. The group meets each Thursday night at 7:30. There is childcare. The Tom Wilson small group is studying Dealing with Temptation. This is a youth (ages 14-17) Bible study. The meet at 5768 Willow Way, Beaverdam, SC This is on the north side of town. Start time is 7pm. Other Groups Book Ends is a Women s Book Club. They meet from September through May and take the summers off. This is an open group facilitated by Ginny Banks. Call her to find out what book is being read at this time. 41

42 Unit 3: Small Groups There is childcare. They meet the first Tuesday of each month at 10:30am in room 234 of the Annex. The Grief and Bereavement group is for adults going through the grief process for whatever reason (death, illness, etc.). Jean Shami leads the group. They meet each Thursday night in Annex room 123. This is a closed group, so please contact Jean at before attending. There is childcare. Start time is 7pm. Freedom is a drug addiction recovery group They meet at the church. This closed group is facilitated by Dr. Hugh Downs They meet each Friday night at 7:30pm in Annex room 202. There is childcare. Before attending, please contact Dr. Downs at The Brazil group is a closed group for those going on a mission trip to Brazil. They meet at 7:30pm at Jason Nelson s home Meetings occur on the 2 nd and 4 th Tuesday of each month. The address is 5544 Randolph Circle, Beaverdam, SC. Meetings end in May. Start time is 7:30. If you think you might be interested in going to Brazil on a mission trip, contact Josh Stack at the church office. The Belize group is a closed group for those going on a mission trip to Belize. They meet at 7:30pm at the Tony Ramirez home. Meetings occur on the 2 nd and 4 th Tuesday of each month. The address is 7463 Book Lane, Beaverdam, SC. Meetings end in May. Start time is 7:30. If you think you might be interested in going to Belize on a mission trip, contact Josh Stack at the church office. The Food Bankers group is a volunteer group that keeps up with food inventory and works on a rotating basis during times the bank is open. Contact Linda Stokes at the church office for more information on the present needs. 42

43 Unit 3: Small Groups The Care Team is a volunteer group that keeps up with those who are sick and/or shut in. Tasks are determined by the need. Contact Jayne Cook at the church office for more information. 43

44 Unit 3: Small Groups Adding Individuals to Small Group Rosters While people have the ability to join Small Groups online, Callie already has a list of several people who are already members of some of the groups she s just entered. She needs to add these people to the correct Small Groups. To add an individual to a small group roster 1. In the Small Groups structure tree, select the group that you want to add an individual to. 2. Click Roster. 3. Click Add to Roster. 4. From the What position are you adding for drop-down list, select the position for the individual you are adding. 5. Enter the Last Name or a portion of the last name in the search field. 6. Click Run Search. 7. Click Select next to the individual s name that you want to add. 8. Click Add to Roster. 44

45 Unit 3: Small Groups Marking and Viewing Small Group Attendance It s important for Callie to know how to mark and view Small Group attendance because she needs to teach group leaders (at your church, someone else might mark attendance) how to do this. Marking and viewing attendance isn t difficult to do but some people don t like change, and the staff wants to make the transition to Access ACS as easily as possible so they will have a class for group leaders. Callie makes a mental note to schedule a class. To mark attendance for a Small Group 1. Point to Groups, and click Small Groups. 2. Choose the small group for which you want to post attendance. 3. From the I want to drop down box, select Mark Attendance. 4. Click Go. 5. Select the Marking Date. 6. Choose whether to mark for individuals Present or Absent. 7. Select the check box provided for individuals you want to mark. To mark the entire group, select the check box at the top of the list. 8. You have the option to add guests, comments, praises or prayer requests. Enter information in the appropriate boxes. 9. Click Submit. To view Small Group attendance 1. Point to Groups, and click Small Groups. 2. Choose the small group you want to view attendance for. 3. From the I want to drop-down box, select View Attendance. 4. Click Go. 5. Select the Month. 6. Select the Year. 7. Click Go. 45

46 Unit 3: Small Groups Adding Small Group Connection Assignments Pastor Wayne wants to know how to create connections through small groups. Callie needs to learn how to do this so she can teach Pastor Wayne and the small group leaders. You can either do a search or go directly to an individual s record and assign a connection (a contact) to a small group leader. Once the connection is assigned, Access ACS sends a notification to the leader. To add a connection assignment 1. Point to Directories, and click Locate Individual. 2. Enter the first few letters of the first and last names of the individual who should be contacted. 3. Click Run Search. 4. Under Search Results, click the name of the individual. 5. Click the Connections tab. 6. Click New Connection. 7. Select Small Groups Connection. 8. Click Next. 9. Select the group or groups that should contact the individual. 10. Click Next. 11. Add any remarks for the group leader. 12. Click Next. 13. Click Submit. 46

47 Unit 3: Small Groups Synchronizing Small Groups Since Small Groups are created and maintained in Access ACS, it s important to keep ACS and Access ACS synced. Callie needs to know how to do this. Unlike classes and activities, small groups are created and maintained inside of Access ACS. Let s talk about how to synchronize your small group information to your ACS for Windows. Before you synchronize Small Groups there are a few things you need to know: A user must have Full or View security rights to see Small Group options. You must make all structure changes to small groups, roster additions, and edits to group information in Access ACS. To make Small Group information available in ACS People Suite: 1. In ACS, under Advanced Tools, on the Settings tab, select Groups, and click Go. Figure 8: Advanced Tools - Groups 2. In the Group Type drop-down list, select Small Groups. 3. Click Update. 47

48 Unit 4: Connections Unit 4: Connections Callie has gotten a lot accomplished in Access ACS today but there s one more area she wants to investigate before she stops and that how she can use the Connections area. You can view and respond to Connections assignments from the ACS Connections module through Access ACS. Partnering ACS Connections with Access ACS lets you reach interested visitors and members. You can view Connection assignments on a summary page to ensure that staff and lay leaders involved in connecting ministries can quickly follow up with their prospects. By the end of this unit you should be able to: Complete Contact Assignments in Access ACS. Log Attempted Contacts in Access ACS. View the Directory of Outreach Contact Assignments in Access ACS. 48

49 Unit 4: Connections Completing Contact Assignments in Access ACS Before she starts working with contact assignments in Access ACS, Callie needs to make sure she understands the terminology. Let s start there and then see how to complete a contact. Words to know Outreach Connections These are directly linked to the Connections module in the ACS desktop. Small Groups Connections These are designed to connect individuals with small groups. Useful Information The My Assigned Outreach Connections section only displays current, incomplete connections. To view all connection assignments, click View More. Train your staff and volunteers to preface their comments with their initials. This makes it easy to determine whom to approach if clarification is needed. To complete a contact assignment 1. On the My Overview page, under My Assigned Outreach Connections, click the name of the individual with whom the contact was made. 2. Under Enter Results, enter the date the contact was made. 3. Highlight applicable responses and click. 4. Enter additional comments. 5. Under What are the results of the contact, select Close Connection. 6. Click Save. 49

50 Unit 4: Connections Logging Attempted Contacts in Access ACS It would be great if every contact was successful on the first attempt, but Callie knows that doesn t always happen. To log attempted contacts in Access ACS, follow the steps in the previous lesson, Completing Contact Assignments in Access ACS and then, under What are the results of the contact, select Keep Connection Open. Figure 9: Keep a Connection Open 50

51 Unit 4: Connections ACS Viewing the Directory of Outreach Contact Assignments in Access Pastor Wayne wants a list of contact assignments that includes name, contacts, incomplete contacts and several other things. Callie has found the Directory of Outreach Contact Assignments and decides to take a closer look to see if it includes everything that Pastor Wayne wants. The directory of outreach assignments is a comprehensive list of all assignments made for a particular date range. The list displays: The leaders assigned to make contacts The total number by individual Whether the contact was made or not made Whether there are overdue contacts You can use this list to make sure that your staff and leaders are accountable for following up with their contacts. Not every user has access rights to view a directory of outreach contact assignments. These access rights are usually reserved for staff members or an Access ACS System Administrator. If the following options do not display on your page, contact your Access ACS System Administrator. To view the directory of outreach contact assignments 1. Point to Directories, then click Connections. 2. Click an individual s name to view a list of contacts assigned to that individual. This list includes the contact type (description), due date, and status. 3. To view detail information, including responses and comments, click View More. 51

52 Unit 4: Connections Now it s your turn In your small group, write down the five most important things you ve learned in today s session. Be prepared to share your list with the class. Action Plan Quick! Before you lose all those great ideas of things you need to check into, think about, or do when you get back to your church, jot them down here. 52

53 Reference Materials Reference Materials Switching a User s Profile User profiles are the permissions that you establish for a group of users in Access ACS. To switch a user s profile 1. Point to Admin, and click Security. 2. Click the name of the user whose profile you want to change. 3. Under User Security Settings, in the Assigned Profile drop-down list, select the new profile. 4. Click Save. 53

54 Reference Materials Deactivating Users At some point you will need to deactivate an Access ACS user. To deactivate a user account in Access ACS 1. Point to Admin, and click Security. 2. Click the name of the user whose profile you want to deactivate. 3. Under User Options, click Edit. 4. Under User Options, select Disable Account. 5. Click Save. 54

55 Reference Materials Small Group Statistics The Small Group Statistics page lets you view and print statistic tables and graphs about your small groups. The page is divided into three sections: Small Groups by Participation Small Groups by Status Small Group Attendance for the Current Week Groups are displayed at the master level. Click a column header to sort the list. Click view the information as a graph. to Figure 10: Small Group Statistics 55

56 Reference Materials Sending a Message in Access ACS There are multiple formats you can use to deliver a message from Access ACS. You can send a message to small group members, serving teams and individuals who have registered for events. Under the I Want to drop-down list, the Send a Message option lets you send an or post to a Facebook page or Twitter account. To send a message in Access ACS 1. Select the individuals you want to receive the message from a small group roster, serving roster, or event registration list. 2. From the I Want to drop-down list, select Send a Message. Figure 11: Send a Message 3. To view a list of all individuals that will receive the message by , click the People with addresses link. 4. To send the message using your own client, such as MS Outlook or Gmail, click Use Client. 5. Enter additional addresses, if necessary. 6. Enter a subject for the message. 56